1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical connector boxes. In particular, the present invention is a multiple cable connector box which permits multi-conductor cables that run from both different and the same directions to be conductively connected in one box.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, a plurality of multi-conductor cables have been conductively connected in differently designed connector boxes depending from which direction the multi-conductor cables extended from. More specifically, a differently designed connector box is used if the cables run from opposite directions than if the cables run in the same direction.
One example of a multiple cable connector box is described in a pending application, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,664 granted to Davis et al. on Sept. 22, 1981 and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. In the pending application, two multi-conductor cables with connectors are shown conductively connected to connectors of a housing on opposite side walls. The housing is separated into two halves and the connectors in the housing may be transposed by opening the housing and positioning the connectors in the directions compatible for connection to the multi-conductor cables and their connectors. However, the adapter of the pending application cannot facilitate more than two multi-conductor cables with multi-contact connectors and the connectors are attached at the outside of the housing of the cable connector box.
The Elkins U.S. Pat. No. 3,705,378 illustrates a cover for a pair of multi-contact connectors that connect a pair of cables. The Elkins patent also facilitates only two multi-conductor cables and is not useful in the situation of multi-conductor cables extending from the same and different directions.
The Krolak et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,985, illustrates a multiple cable connector box with multi-contact connectors fixedly attached within a housing for connection with another multi-contact connector attached to a multi-conductor cable extending through an opening in the housing. This type of connector housing, however, does not provide a solution of connecting multi-conductor cables which extend from different directions.